[Link to article photos] The College of Engineering established the Equal Opportunity in Engineering (EOE) Program in 1970 to promote the recruitment and academic development of Hispanic, African American, and Native American students interested in pursuing careers in engineering. Since that time, EOE has expanded its goals and seeks to increase the diversity of its student body by supporting students who come from historically underrepresented population groups in Texas or students who have backgrounds or experiences that will contribute to the overall diversity of the College of Engineering at UT Austin.
EOE promotes excellence in the areas of academics, leadership, professional development, and community support. Most importantly, EOE builds a support network for advancement through opportunities that encourage engineering students to interact with their peers, faculty, alumni, and corporate representatives.
Being a successful engineering student and graduating from the College of Engineering is a challenging but rewarding feat. EOE offers several programs to help ensure success of students that range from first year students to graduating seniors. First year students can benefit from EOE programs such as the Fall Kick-Off, First Year Interest Groups (FIGs), and Engineering Peer Leaders, which assist with the transition from high school to college. EOE FIGs and Engineering Peer Leaders offer invaluable advice and guidance for first year engineering students.
When asked what his best experience as a student on campus was, Oscar Castillo, a 4th year mechanical engineering student and former EOE Visionaries FIG student, said:
“The best moment I have had as a student has been meeting some of my best friends here at UT through the Visionaries FIG. Though it was rather scary coming to UT at the beginning, the friends I met made it easier to get to where I am. We have spent long hours together doing homework and studying for exams. We became part of the EOE Family, and as the FIG ended we continued contributing to our personal success and the success of others, through EOE sponsored activities.”
Opportunities for leadership and professional development are also made possible to all students through involvement in student organizations that partner with EOE. EOE serves advisor to Pi Sigma Pi (Pi) Minority Engineering Academic Society, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Castillo, also a member of SHPE, advocates that joining a student organization “is a good strategy to build a student support network.” Through participation in these organizations, students find out about several opportunities such as summer jobs, co-ops, scholarships, campus events, cultural activities, and personal development workshops. Students are encouraged to learn more about these student organizations at EOE’s Fall Kick-Off on the second class day of the Fall semester.
EOE is here to support students and provide opportunities that enrich the academic experience. Services are free and open to all students. For more information about EOE, please call their office at (512) 471-5953, visit their website at www.engr.utexas.edu/eoe, or stop by ECJ 2.102.
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About UT's Cockrell School of Engineering:
The University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering ranks among the top six public engineering schools in the United States. With the nation's fourth highest number of faculty elected members of the National Academy of Engineering, the School's more than 7,000 students gain exposure to the nation's finest engineering practitioners. Appropriately, the School's logo, an embellished checkmark used by the first UT engineering dean to denote high quality student work, is the nation's oldest quality symbol. The School maintains a Web site at http://www.engr.utexas.edu